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Driver sues Stratham Tire over loss of rear wheel, crash

BRENTWOOD - A Hampton man is suing Stratham Tire after a newly installed rear tire fell off, causing the van he was driving to veer across Interstate 95 and overturn.

In the suit filed last week in Rockingham County Superior Court, Scott Adams blames Stratham Tire for the crash on Feb. 10, 2012, that left him with serious injuries.

According to the suit, Adams, an employee of Great Bay Limousine Inc., was driving north on I-95 in Newbury, Mass., when the driver's side rear wheel came off, causing the vehicle to veer across the highway, travel over a grassy median, flip and roll before landing on the passenger's side.

The accident followed a tire replacement job at Stratham Tire's Portsmouth shop on Jan. 30, 2012. The suit said two new rear tires were installed on the van.

Adams was alone in the van and was returning to New Hampshire after making a trip to Boston at the time of the accident.

The suit accuses Stratham Tire of negligence, saying the company and its employees failed to properly place, secure, and inflate the tires.

The suit also claims the company failed to provide adequate training and didn't have appropriate policies, procedures, and protocols in place for tire installation.

The suit seeks unspecified damages.

"This could have been a very horrific accident. It could have been much worse than it was. Fortunately no one else was injured or died. These people place their safety in the hands of Stratham Tire. Obviously when they fail to (do their job) they should be held accountable," said Jason Botop, an attorney with Coughlin, Rainboth, Murphy and Lown in Portsmouth.

A representative from Stratham Tire did not return a phone call seeking comment Thursday afternoon.